Review and Swatches: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 50

I am very much into non-animal testing products and so usually steer clear of brands which are not cruelty free. Neutrogena is one such brand. Normally I wouldnt buy this one but when my husband got this for me to rotect me from Delhi's harsh Summer sun, I couldnt look ungracious and refuse it. I dont use this except when I am going out in Sun for a longer time as I prefer using Lotus's sun screen gel [like the feel of it :)]

However I must say, this is a quite nice product for summers.

[It is not dust, but result of getting mixed with an open bournvita pack :(]

What Neutrogena says about this sunscreen:

Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 50+ is a revolutionary, dermatologist-tested formula that contains Helioplex® technology, the latest breakthrough in UV protection.

Helioplex® delivers unbeatable UVA protection. It works better to help prevent damaging UVA rays from penetrating deep under skin's surface. Dry-Touch technology absorbs excess sunscreen oils, leaving a clean, lightweight, non-shiny finish.

Serious sun protection never felt this light on your skin. This product features Helioplex®, a breadth of stabilised sunscreen technologies that delivers superior protection from the sun.

• Waterproof
• Sweatproof
• PABA-free
• Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)

I used this one in Delhi's hot & dry summer and later in Chennai's humid and scalding weather. This worked in both climates. Usually I have trouble with lotion-based sunscreens of higher SPFs as they go too oily on my already oily skin.



However this one is quite good in that. It absorbs fast into the skin. It does feel like rubbing an emulsion or medical ointment onto skin as the scent is quite chemically and the consistency is also like emulsion. It takes a min or 2 to absorb into the skin but once it does it feels light.

As to effectiveness, the best I can say is I didnt get any sunburns or serious dark spots in my face and thats a great thing as my skin burns easily. I should say this protects skin very well indeed.



The cream tube is easily to use and the cream itself is white in color. For 425rs, the quantity 88ml is quite decent and should last enough for around 100 usages.

Overall I would say this is a nice sunscreen and if it were not for animal testing [when will companies learn to be humane and kind!!] I would have got this again.

Review and Swatches: Khojati Must be love Herbal Kajal in 5 shades

I got this as a gift from a friend in Mumbai when I wanted to know her “secret” behind colored kajal in waterline. I do not apply any colored liner on my waterline and I really would like to try some safe nice colors, but till I received these ones, I was not sure about the safety aspects. I guess this is not a new product for people from Mumbai or Delhi but this brand is not that common in South.

Product: Khojati Must Be love herbal kajals in shades Blue, Electric Blue, Green, Brown and Copper

Price: around 95, but she got some discounts and It was a gift J

Quantity and expiration date: 35gms and 3 years

What the packet says:

“Khojati Kohl Herbal Eye Pencil - Revitalize your eyes

Must Be Love Kohl Herbal Liner with pure Ghee and Almond Oil - Unani Product, Lead Free. Rich, dark and smudge-proof. A quality product from the house of Khojati. Khojati now takes inspiration from all those mothers who believe in doing the very best for their children. At Khojati, this legendary love of a mother has now given shape to a new product a uniquely soft and gentle Kohl Eye Liner.”

Available in 10 colours.

The ingredients listed behind the pack was mostly herbal and I was sold on the “cow’s ghee” part J

Packaging is very cheap looking with a golden metallic pencil with the kajal stick on the “point” part. I am not sure how strong the hold is but I felt that a good knock or strong application might break the point of the kajal pencil.

My experience

My friend asked me to use their either as an eyeshadow base or kajal on waterline. So I straight away went and did neither and applied it on my upper lash line and whoa, in an hour the entire color was smudged and I was a blue-eyed raccoon and not the cute variety either! L So the next time, I applied the brown on my waterline and the copper color as an eyeshadow base and the results were all that I wished for.

On the water line, it did not sting but had a pleasantly soothing effect. I did not experience any irritation after applying this and it stayed for around 2-3 hours. As an eye-shadow base it was decent enough, with a staying power of 2 hours max but then it was a bit too oily for my already oily skin so it the eye-shadow pigment I applied over this kinda clumped together and the effect was not that great. However if used with a powder eye-shadow this seemed to work better and provided a more even coverage for 3hours max. 

I would say that the best use for this is as a safe waterline colored kajal. I loved this one and I am planning to ask my friends to send this once this gets over but there is a lot of quantity and I don’t see this getting over very fast unless it breaks of at the edge!

Brown, Blue, Copper, Electric blue and green

Of the colors, I liked brown and green [its more of a sea green] the best. Electric blue and Blue was the same and copper is not very pigmented, more like a champagne color.

Will I buy again? This is not a staple product, more like a fun product for me. So yeah, may be if I get a chance, I will.

Reviews and Swatches: Streetwear Color Rich lipstick in shade Cherry Slush

I read somewhere that women buy lipsticks especially when they are depressed about something as a quick fix for mood uplift almost like how guys drink beer I guess. I was having a bad weather day recently and while randomly checking around the store, I found Streetwear Color rich displayed. Normally I wouldnt try out lipsticks without any idea of the shade and this set didnt have a tester or a shade card or even an SA who could tell me about the shade. But it was an impulse and since I am not very impressed with Streetwear as a brand, though I love Revlon, I didnt expect much from this one but I am happy with this.

 After reading in a blog about Revlon's iconic cult lipstick Cherries in the Snow some time back, I was searching for a cheaper alternative as I am not normally a fan of bright shades and was not very sure how this would look on me. So when I saw the name Cherry Slush, I assumed it might be a Cherry-ish color and grabbed it.

Streetwear's Color Rich lipstick is one of the cheapest lipsticks around but I have always found the colors not so appealing, the pigmentation poor and the scent a bit repulsive in all the testers I have tried. Thankfully, this one is better off in term of pigmentation and color.

This is a deep cherry-reddish-pinkish color that looks more red to me on package but pinkish on application [I dont know how lipsticks do that!!!]. It is a nice face-brightening color, but must be applied with a light hand to avoid a garish hooker look, especially for fair skinned beauties. This is a nice daily wear [not office wear] shade for medium fair ladies like me, a safe choice that goes with most looks and dresses.


I would describe this as a classic cherry-pink color which should be a must-have in every makeup stash, but would definitely suggest a better quality one. However for 140Rs for 3.5gms, one cant really complain much about quality :)

I have finally ordered my Cherries in the Snow, will review it as soon as the baby comes.. :)

Review and Swatches: Lotus Herbals Floralglam Moisturising Lip Color in shade 020 O'Orange

I was searching for an orange based coral shade for that naturally flushed look for lips, when I stumbled into a locally famous beauty store in Kochi, Kerala. They didnt have any testers on this, but when I mentioned to the SA that I was looking for an orangey coral look, I think she heard the "orange" part, ignored the "coral" part and proceeded to sell me this lipstick.

As my husband had promised me to buy a lipstick of my choice and he seemed to like the color [said the bright color suits me, I still dont know if he was being flattering or sarcastic!] I thought, "Oh fine! I dont have a bright color in my kitty, let me try this.."

This is a bright eye-popping color that reminds me of Rasna orange drink I used to love as a kid [Now I dont, growing up and dieting removes most tasty stuff from your life :( ] This is one of the few colors, that looked the same on the tube and on my lips. \

About the lipstick:
Price is around 350INR and you can usually get it on sales online for around 290+.
- Enriched with Botanical extracts.
- Hydrates and protects lips for hours
If there is one fault I could find with the packaging [there are more than 1!] it would be the total lack of ingredients listed. Wish they added details like Expiry date, ingredients etc on the tube itself.

Another serious problem with the packaging is evident from the condition of my lipstick. I dropped it on the floor and something with the hinges went wrong and ever since, the lipstick bullet kept getting stuck on the lid :( Now there is nothing much left of the qty, not because I used it, but cos it kept getting stuck on the lid.

The lipstick is good in pigmentation, single swipe gives a decent amount of color and stays on for around 3+hours depending on skin type and climate. I cannot really judge if its really that moisturising as my lips dont get dry so lipstick dont usually dry me out.

This lipstick is good for desi wedding parties for that tinge of bright color paired with subdued eye and cheek makeup. Another lovely use I have found for this lipstick is as a creamy blush :) Looks great on my cheeks when blended, perfect for summer's day out.

Overall, I think this is a decent buy, with the range having som nice colors. Also, it is supposed to be herbal so hope less no of chemical stuff.

Review and Swatches: Khadi Mauri Peel Off Face pack

I like this peel off for 2 reasons: 1. Its a khadi product, inexpensive, desi, herbal stuff that has a superb fragrance 2. It does a good job as a peel-off which is clean out the pores and provide a quick refreshing effect to face.

Price is 125 INR, quantity is 210ml and shelf life is 2years.

I got this from one of the online retail shops, I forgot which as it is almost an year now. I dont use this very frequently, use this mostly when I have to go out and my oily skin is feeling particularly clogged out.
This is what is given in the website:

Khadi Peel Off Face Mask gently draws out impurities and maintains youthful, healthy looking skin.

Benefits

• Cleanses the embedded particles, improves blood circulation and relieves stress
• Useful in case of skin damage from UV rays, dehydration and aging as skin loses elasticity. Improves skin renewal
• Removes excessive oils that clog pores making skin susceptible to acne and rash
• Botanical formula contains natural anti-oxidants which help neutralize environmental skin damage.

Ingredient

Anar Root, Brahmi, Tulsi Leaf, Sahtut, Cucumber, Glycerine, Methyl cellulose, Purified water q.s. preservatives, Sarbical, PVA.

Usage

Apply 1-2gm on your face & neck, allow it to dry and then peel off.

The peel liquid is thick and orangey-guey in color and doesnt have any strong sensation on skin. It doesnt spread that easily, reminds me of a thick honey type peel from Shahnaz, forgot the name.

The peel dries off fast enough and is easier than most peels to remove from face, which is definitely a plus point.

Overall I love this peel and unless I come across something better, I will definitely try to re-purchase this. After all, its a desi item without any parabens and has a spl place in my heart. :)

Review & Swatches: Scholl Rough Skin remover for feet

I am ashamed to say that my feet is probably the most ignored part of my beauty routine.
The only thing i do on a daily basis to care for my feet is wash it regularly and make sure it is clean.

So when my friend who worked in a hospital where the employees have a good discount, I asked her to get a range of good products for foot care and she got me a complete set. Now this is the one I use on a weekly basis. I hope my feet forgives me for the negligence.. :(

I have mixed feeling about this product. It is a good foot scrub, but I think the name kinda makes you think about a wonder product that on applying, magically peels the hard skin on your feet.

This is what Scholls say about the product:

Natural ingredients that remove dry skin and activates cell renewal

• Instantly removes rough , dry skin.
• Natural pumice and fruit AHA’s strips away rough , dry skin and activate cell renewal.
• Also suitable for use on knees & elbows.
• Dermatologically tested.

Unit: 1
INR: 150.00

I use this as a foot scrub as the stage 2 of my pedicure, 1st being soaking it up in a shampoo filled warm water. I find it easier to use with a pumice stone scrubber and it does clean up rather good. It does not have much fragrance, I kinda prefer Avon's foot scrub for its superb scent.

On the whole, I think this is a pocket friendly product for your foot care routine, though cant say its as much a fun product as Avon's foot scrubs [i just luvvv the pomegranate+chocolate one i have]

Review and Swatches: Lotus Herbals Seduction Botanical Tinted Lip Gloss - Winterberry Crush 43

I had reviewed Lotus Strawberry punch earlier.

Winter berry Crush was part of the Festive Glam collection by Lotus and they released 5 shades in this range and I have 2 of them

Courtesy: Wise She beauty blog [ http://www.wiseshe.com/ ]

Courtesy: Wise She beauty blog [ http://www.wiseshe.com/ ]

I love these glosses very much as they spread nicely, is priced reasonable, is vegetarian and tinted decently.

This is a dupe of Strawberry Punch shade but without the obvious shimmer, so I like this one better than the Strawberry punch shade.

The shimmers in this are not at all noticeable and is mostly a reflective shine one.

Staying power is average around 2hours and doesn’t survive food but then I don’t really have much expectations from glosses J

1 thing I wish Lotus could improve here is the Ingredients list: they should add a list that supports the claim that it is herbal !

Lotus Winterberry Crush is a nice shade for summer and for day wear.

I suggest topping this over a peach lipstick to get a naturally flushed lips and over a pink lipstick to get a healthy sheen.

Availability

·         Medplusbeauty.comhttp://www.medplusbeauty.com/products/lotus-herbals-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss  price 184.5INR

·         Urbantouch.com: http://www.urbantouch.com/lotus-herbals-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss/UT0000067/p/ price is 200 INR

·         Stylecraze.com: http://www.stylecraze.com/Products/lips-lip-gloss/Lotus/lotus-herbals-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss/pid-786941.aspx price is 214 INR

·         Snapittoday.com: http://snapittoday.com/lotus-herbals-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss--strawberry-punch-41-p544t price is 209INR

·         Cosmetix.in: http://cosmetix.in/Lip-Gloss/624-lotus-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss.html price is 198INR

·         Healthkart.com : http://www.healthkart.com/product/lotus-herbals-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss/BTY360 price is 198INR

Review: Online shopping experience with Beauteboutique.com

Beauteboutique is an online store which was introduced to me through an article in IMBB for Anna Andre lip liner.

Beauteboutique [tough name!!] carries some foreign brands like:

·         Makeup: Anna Andre Paris

·         Perfume: Anna Andre Paris, Arrogance, Vincent Valentine etc

·         Skin Care: Byphasse, Catena, Dead Sea Mineral, eveline, Majestic Luxury London

·         Hair Care: Byphasse

Since I have never heard of these brands before I did a quick research and got the following links for the products:

DSM: http://www.dsm.monplatin.co.il/main.asp?product_id=10011&cat=products&sCat=product&sel_nav1=1&sel_nav2=1

Anna Andre Paris: http://www.annaandre.com/ [not a very good website!]

Byphasse: http://www.byphasse.com/ingles.html#/productos/

I must say I was intrigued enough to try out the brands, and since I was testing it out I decided to go for some safe options in makeup.

I picked up the following items:

1 Makeup kit worth 325 INR

1 Deluxe crème lipstick

I was pleasantly surprised to note that they send me a kajal pencil [nice one] as a gift for the 1^st order.

They have not specified any shipping charge waivers in the website.

I wish they would design their website better.

1 major con was that the makeup products did not have the shades listed!!!

I send an email to their customer care and was happy to receive a quick reply with the shade card attached which I am adding here for reference

I have no idea why they have not added this shade card at least in their website.

They send the products through speed post which reached me quick enough.

Overall, I am okay with the shopping website but not impressed.

Their website design needs attention and details and the payment options are also not that impressive.

Also, I am not able to check online about the reviews of this brand so I am trying the products out.

So far I am very happy with the makeup kit, will review the 3 items soon J

Review and Swatches: Jordana 7" lip liner in shade Spice

I must admit that while I love lipsticks and moderately care for lip glosses, lip liners are something I usually ignore.

I have a bare minimum of 3 basic colors in my cache: a nude, a coral peachy shade[this one I am reviewing] and a brown

My reluctance to use lip liners is basically because my lips are thin and its hard to correctly define them, espl while running to office.

So it’s basically “lipbalm+lipstick+gloss” combo for me usually.

I got this from Coollifeshop.com when the prices were much lesser [I don’t know why but the product prices seemed to have increased in their website for Jordana].

I got this one for around 80 INR but now the price is 100+.

What coollifeshop says about the product?

·         The Foolproof Way to Line Lips

·         Easy Application

·         Prevents Color from Bleeding Beyond the Lip Line

·         Excellent Quality, Great Value

7" Lip Liner Pencil by Jordana emphasize the shape of your lips. It is the perfect tool for re-shaping lips or just even out size or fullness. This beautifully precise lip liner stays on for quite some time and prevents lipstick from bleeding.

Jordana’s 7" Lip Line Pencil comes in various shades. You can match these with your lipstick to give a perfect look to your lips. This slim pencil is easy to use & gives a natural, timeless look to your lips. It is available in .12oz/3.4g.

Best Suitable For:

All types of lips

Tips & Tricks:

Draw the lip liner along the natural line of the lips. Start from the middle to the outer edges. If you want your lips to look small, draw the line slightly inside the natural curve of the lip. If you want your smaller lips look bigger, draw the line just outside of the natural lip at the outer corners. Don’t forget to blend it well.

The website stocked only 3 colors [Mahogany, Spice and Natural ] , I would have loved to try the shades Toast and petal.

I got natural and spice and I love spice the better. Natural is more of a flesh toned color that washes out my complexion usually.

Jordana is a nice and cheap brand and I have tried their lipsticks and blushes as well.

I have a love-hate relationship with lipsticks [gorgeous color& stay, horrible feel & finish: read my review in IMBB here ]

I love their blushes and is waiting for a good offer to buy some more interesting shades.

Jordana 7” lipliner is made I guess with makeup artists or beauticians in mind, for who else will even finish using half of it in a time span of 2 years!

Unlike the shade Natural, Spice is soft and creamier and feels good & easy to apply.

It is a very bright color, which I tried using as an overall color, but didn’t work very well.

I usually pair it with coral pink or peach shades and this one surprisingly is a good day-time blusher as well.. J

Shocked? No really, I tried this on my cheeks once and after blending properly, this worked well as a creamy matte blusher for a very peachy tint.

As for the staying power, it’s around 2-3 hours but the problem is because its too long, its difficult to carry around.

It doesn’t have any strong fragrance or taste and doesn’t have any skin irritations.

I guess it will be hardly 6” by the time I throw this away L

Wish companies would come up with compact sized products!

Overall, I would say this is a good product for lip-liner-beginners like me who is learning on using this J

Wish coollifeshop would add more shades soon.

Review and Swatches: Lotus Herbals Seduction Botanical Tinted Lip Gloss - Strawberry Punch 41

I got this beauty from Fashion and you, a website I usually try to avoid if possible due to their extremely poor customer service [don’t get me started on this, I can yarn and yarn..]

However, occasionally they have some nice offers which the beauty-addict in me refuses to ignore and I jump and buy and then end up chewing my nails waiting and waiting and waiting for the products to come.

This gloss is part of Lotus Herbal’s Tinted Lip gloss range and I really like this range as a whole.

In fact I think Lotus is the best of Indian make-up brands: No animal testing [Lakme goes down here], Ingredients listed [colorbar goes down here] and decent match of price against quality and availability . I think Tips and Toes might be a good choice for an Indian brand, when it comes to ranges and shades I guess nothing tops firangi brands J

The shade I got is a bright coral pink shade which brightens up the face but if you have un-even skin tone [like me L], make sure you apply your makeup fool-proof.

It is very good for a natural look for day wear espl for summer or for a beach outing.

The gloss is not very long stay but it is moisturizing enough and glides easily.

It is not very sticky, not too shimmery, doesn’t have any taste or strong scent.

The only con I could find is that if the applicator doesn’t help in spreading gloss evenly.

I prefer the Bourjois  lip gloss brush-tip applicator which helps in smoothing the gloss evenly.

For the price, I think this is a nice buy if you love glosses and is not looking for a long stay one J

Lotus herbals tinted gloss is available from the following websites:

Medplusbeauty.com[Ylove this site]: http://www.medplusbeauty.com/products/lotus-herbals-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss  price 184.5INR

Urbantouch.com: http://www.urbantouch.com/lotus-herbals-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss/UT0000067/p/ price is 200 INR

Stylecraze.com: http://www.stylecraze.com/Products/lips-lip-gloss/Lotus/lotus-herbals-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss/pid-786941.aspx price is 214 INR

Snapittoday.com: http://snapittoday.com/lotus-herbals-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss--strawberry-punch-41-p544t price is 209INR

Cosmetix.in: http://cosmetix.in/Lip-Gloss/624-lotus-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss.html price is 198INR

Healthkart.com : http://www.healthkart.com/product/lotus-herbals-seduction-botanical-tinted-lip-gloss/BTY360 price is 198INR